The mission of the Savannah River Site Citizens Advisory Board is to study the issues

and provide informed and timely recommendations, from the public’s perspective, to the

Department of Energy concerning Environmental Management work at SRS in the ar-

eas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related activities.

TH

ET

HE

Savannah River Site

Citizens Advisory Board

Fall Newsletter, 2010

What’s Inside?

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Page 1 A Message From the Chair— Manuel Bettencourt, SRS CAB Chairperson

The SRS CAB is an Asset to Your Community— SRS CAB Support Team

DOE Introduces New Site Manager– Inés Triay, DOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management

2010 SRS CAB Process & Education Retreat-SRS CAB Support Team

SRS CAB Takes a Public Comment and Goes into Action-SRS CAB Support Team

The SRS Cold War Historic Preservation Program Keeps Legacies Alive– SRS CAB Support Team

SRNS Celebrates Two-Year Anniversary at SRS- Republished from DOE News Release

CAB Members Weigh in on Army Training at SRS– Featuring Marolyn Parson and Kathe Golden

Progress is Being Made with ARRA– SRS CAB Support Team

Take a Look: A Year of CAB Meetings– SRS CAB Support Team

K –Area Cooling Tower Project Reaches Completion– Republished from DOE News Release

Highlights of CAB Recommendations

Blowing Bubbles- Republished from DOE News Release

The CAB Says Farewell to Four Board Members– Manuel Bettencourt, Art Domby, Ranowul Jzar,& Joe Ortaldo

Visit to the Site Specific Chairs’ Meeting in Santa Fe, NM– Don Bridges, SRS CAB Vice Chairperson

Make Your Way to the New DOE Meeting Center in Aiken for Committee Meetings– Directions

The CAB Support Team extends a big “Thank you” to Savannah Riverkeeper for providing the

cover photo for this newsletter. Also, many thanks to all newsletter contributors, sources, and

SRS CAB members. We couldn’t do it without you! If you would like to contribute to the Spring

2011 Board Beat SRS CAB newsletter, or request we send a copy of this issue to a friend, please

contact the Support Team at srscitizensadvisoryboard@srs.gov or call us at 803-952-7884. We

look forward to seeing you at the next SRS CAB Committee or Full Board meeting!

CAB Members Celebrate M-Area Cleanup at SRS– SRS CAB Support Team

A Message from the ChairpersonA Message from the ChairpersonA Message from the ChairpersonManuel Bettencourt, SRS Citizens Advisory Board

Greetings to CAB members and other readers of the Board Beat. By the time this is published, the Board will have com-pleted its annual Education and Process Retreat. I hope everyone is refreshed, energized, and ready to tackle the issues in the coming year.

But this year is not over. We have a Combined Committees meeting and a Full Board meeting before Thanksgiving, and at least one committee meeting in December. It is time for each committee to review its 2010 Work Plan and see if there are is-sues that still need to be covered.

Don Bridges, Vice Chairperson, represented the Board at the Northern New Mexico Site Specific Advisory Board (SSAB) Chairs’ Meeting in Santa Fe. You can find his article covering the meeting on page 16. On October 12-15, I represented the Board at the 22nd Annual Decision Makers Conference spon-sored by the Weapons Complex Monitor publication. Also, Don and Rose Hayes have papers approved for presentation at the 2011 Waste Management Symposium in February.

At the Retreat, and the September Executive Committee meeting, we learned that our CAB will no longer elect people to nominate to DOE to fill new Board positions. Instead, the Dep-uty Designated Federal Officer (DDFO) will pick the nominees from the available applicants. A number of Board members have voiced strong objection to this change in our proce-dures. In defense of DOE, this change will bring us in-line with the way positions are filled at the other SSABs. I encourage you all to watch this new way of doing business unfold to see what positive or negative effects it may have.

However, we are still going to elect a new CAB Chairperson and Vice Chairperson at the November Board meet-ing. We will also elect new Committee Chairs at the January Board meeting. I encourage any CAB members inter-ested in filling these critical positions to step forward. It is especially important that newer members become experi-enced as Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs because this is where the work of the CAB really happens.

Since this is my last chance to speak to you all through the Board Beat (yes, my 6 year tenure expires in January), I would like to thank the DDFOs (past and present), CAB members, many DOE employees and contractors, and mem-bers of the public who have helped me as Vice Chairperson of Waste Management (2005), Chairperson of Nuclear Materials (2006-2008) and CAB Chairperson (2009-20010). Whatever contribution I might have made is from pa-tience and guidance provided by you all. Do not forget that you are a team. I’ll see you when you visit Savannah and Hilton Head and at the online committee meetings. Keep it safe.

Manuel Bettencourt

Ex Cathedra

1

Chairperson Manuel Bettencourt address the

Board at a recent CAB meeting.

The SRS CAB is an Asset to Your Community

More than 16 years ago, the SRS

Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) was

born into existence by the Depart-

ment of Energy (DOE) and SRS.

Since its inception, the SRS CAB has

strived to provide helpful recommen-

dations, information and clarity to the

local community, and overall make a

difference for those affected by the

cleanup activities at SRS.

The SRS CAB consists of 25 pub-

lic volunteers that are directly af-

fected by SRS. These volunteers take

their personal experiences, concerns,

and questions to the DOE and SRS

through Committee and CAB Board

meetings. The volunteers sign up for

at least one issues-based committee,

including Waste Management, Nu-

clear Materials, Facilities Disposition

& Site Remediation, and Strategic &

Legacy.

In terms of importance and effec-

tiveness, the SRS CAB is at the top

of its game, with quality Board mem-

bers and a dedication to the commu-

nity.

The Board Members are

not paid to serve-they

are diverse volunteers

who represent the com-

munity and its best in-

terest.

2

CAB member Madeleine Marshall, of Edgefield, SC, asks a question

at a recent CAB Full Board meeting.

CAB members Emile Bernard, of Beaufort, SC, and Stanley Howard,

of Windsor, SC, listen to presentations given at the September Full

Board, which was held in Charleston, SC.

The SRS CAB is an Asset to Your Community DOE Introduces New Site Manager

An announcement excerpt

from Inés Triay, DOE Assis-

tant Secretary for Environ-

mental Management.

I am pleased to inform

you that the Department

of Energy has selected Dr.

David Moody as the Site

Manager for the Savannah

River Operations Office.

Dave’s extensive technical

and managerial expertise

will provide strong leadership to continue the substantial

progress of cleanup activities at the Savannah River Site.

He has been a leader on the Rocky Flats and Waste Iso-

lation Pilot Plant projects, both models of DOE’s ability

to successfully complete cleanup activities and radioac-

tive waste disposal.

His experience working for a national laboratory and

serving as a site manager make him uniquely qualified to

lead the aggressive implementation of cleanup solutions

at the Savannah River Site. Dave served as the manager

for the Carlsbad Field Office for almost five years and for

over 30 years at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. His

experience in project management, research and develop-

ment, nuclear waste management and environmental res-

toration make him uniquely qualified to lead one of the

largest cleanup projects in the nation.

Finally, I would like to thank Jack Craig for serving as

the Acting Site Manager for the Savannah River Opera-

tions Office over the last several months. Jack will be re-

turning as the Manager of the Consolidated Business Cen-

ter (CBC). Jack has served with distinction in various

leadership positions within the Department of Energy for

the past 20 years. We value his dedication and commit-

ment and are happy he will be resuming his leadership

role at CBC.

3

The 2010 Process & Education Retreat was held

October 28-30, at Rose Hill Estates in Aiken, SC.

CAB members in attendance reviewed several edu-

cational presentations, as well as the Board’s inter-

nal processes.

2010 SRS CAB Process &

Education Retreat

CAB members discuss Board processes.

New SRS Site Manager, Dr. Moody,

introduces himself, and his vision, to

the CAB.

Allen Gunter, DOE-SR, gives an educational

presentation concerning Nuclear Materials.

Dr. Dave Moody, SRS Site

Manager

CAB takes a Public Comment and Goes into Action

Frank Boulineau, of Hephzibah, GA, commented at the July Full Board meeting that when citizens are trying to follow what is taking place with the DOE or SRS, they look to the CAB. He stated he would like to see a specific article about the representatives of the CAB, and what they’re doing, in local papers.

After hearing Mr. Boulineau’s comment, the SRS CAB Support Team published a guest column in the Metro Spirit, a weekly newspaper based in Augusta, GA, titled “Learn About SRS with the CAB.” The column assisted the SRS CAB Support Team with the 2011 membership recruitment and reached countless community members.

If you’re a resident of the Central Savannah River Area, the Savannah River Site (SRS) is no stranger to you. And over the years, you may have had some questions about it.

SRS has been located in Aiken County for more than 60 years, but curiosity over the Site is still prevalent in the surrounding areas. There is a desire in the community to know more about SRS, such as what it does and how. To the average person, it can be overwhelming to keep up with everything taking place at the Site. This is where the Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) comes in. The CAB is a board of 25 diverse volunteers that live in areas directly affected by clean-up activities at SRS. The Board meets to discuss environmental management issues involving SRS, including the impact the site has on the CSRA and downstream communities. They provide recommendations to the Depart-ment of Energy (DOE) from the public’s perspective. Within the CAB there are four issues-based committees that study the issues of Waste Management, Facilities Disposition and Site Remediation, Nuclear Materials, and Strategic and Legacy Management.

On July 26 and 27, the CAB held its Combined Committees and Full Board meetings where presentations were given on a variety of issues such as Army training at SRS, waste clean-up efforts and the concept of an energy park. After the presentations, CAB members were able to ask questions, and discuss the topics presented to them, and pub-lic comment periods were scheduled within the meeting so anyone from the community could address the Board and presenters.

The CAB is composed of your coworkers, fellow church members, your family and friends. Many walks of life are represented. For example, the CAB currently has members who are retired school counselors, who work as county directors and insurance agents. This diversity is the key to enabling the CAB to work in the interests of all citizens affected by SRS, not just a select few. There is a misconception that CAB members have to be nuclear scientists, mathematician and doctors, but that is not the case. However, even though the CAB strives to represent all of the community, the only way to ensure you will be heard is to attend meetings, or better yet, become a Board member.

Learn About SRS with the CAB

Originally published in the Metro Spirit on August 11, 2010

4

CAB members Dr. Kuppuswamy Jayaraman, of

Savannah, GA, and Skyye Vereen, of Gilbert, SC,

at the September Full Board meeting.

The SRS Cold War Historic Preservation Program Keeps Legacies Alive

5

As tensions from the ongoing Cold War loomed over the heads of American citizens of the 1950s, plans for state-of-the art nuclear weapons became a matter of grave national security. Savannah River Site (SRS), originally known as the Savannah River Plant, was an important part of this nuclear production program.

SRS has been operating for more than 50 years, which means that many buildings, tools, and miscellaneous materials have reached historic status on sheer age alone. In addition, the site has had a great impact on the state, local, and national history of the Cold War and is eligible under several criteria for the National Register of Historic Places. This is where the SRS Cold War His-toric Preservation Program becomes necessary.

“The program is compliant with the National Historic Preservation Act,” Paul Sauerborn, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, said. “Certain sections in the National Historic Preservation Act, refer to the responsibilities of the government relevant to its buildings of historic nature.” These responsibilities include stewardship, cap-ture of important historical information, and education of site em-ployees and the interested public.

The SRS Cold War Historic Preservation Program has quite a task on its hands. According to Mr. Sauerborn, in 1999, Department of Energy-Savannah River, inventoried 732 facilities on Site that were built between 1950 and 1989. After the inventories were completed, 232 struc-tures were deemed to have historic significance.

“Before any actions are taken on these 232 buildings, we would walk the buildings down and identify those impor-tant things that may be considered artifacts at some point in the future,” Mr. Sauerborn said. “Part of the Mitigation Plan approved by the South Carolina Historic Preserva-tion Office was that we would remove, collect, and pre-serve these items. Now, we have an inventory of thou-sands of artifacts.”

After historical items are removed from buildings, there has to be a decision made on what to do with the struc-tures. Mr. Sauerborn explained that what motivates the program a great deal is Decontamination and Decommission-ing (D&D) schedules that need to be followed. Environmental cleanup and public safety necessitate the loss of many historic structures on site. The state must be notified that a building needs to be removed. In the notification letter, SRS identifies its mitigation efforts to preserve the building’s history. Mr. Sauerborn said that in many cases, the buildings are preserved through photography and written “Thematic studies.”

“Thematic studies are stories of those buildings, what they did, how they worked,” Mr. Sauerborn explained. “It is a storybook of how it felt to work during those years of the Cold War.”

General Leslie Groves and Bob Mason scan a

relief map of the Savannah River Plant Project

during the 1950s. Provided by the SRS Cold

War Historic Preservation Program.

Attendees view historical artifacts and photographic dis-

plays at a Day of Remembrance that honored Cold War

patriots. Provided by The SRS Cold War Historic Preser-

vation Program.

Continued on page 10...

SRNS Celebrates Two-year Anniversary at SRS

August marked the two-year anniversary of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS). In 2008, SRNS be-came the management and operating contractor at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site.

“SRNS’s anniversary is exciting for me because I get a chance to applaud over 6,000 dedicated SRNS employ-ees and highlight the many successes they’ve contrib-uted to in the past two years. For SRNS, this is a time to celebrate our company while giving thanks to the people and communities that have helped us thrive,” said Garry Flowers, SRNS president and CEO.

In the past two years, SRNS received eight awards for safe performance. SRNS operations and subcontractor personnel have surpassed 11 million hours, and SRNS construction employees have surpassed 24 million hours without a lost workday due to injury.

Since August 2008, SRNS has achieved many milestones. The FBI’s evidence examination facilities at SRNL ex-panded to enhance the FBI’s ability to conduct forensic examination of radiologically contaminated evidence, the SRS public tour program that had ended after September 11, 2001, was reinstated and DOE selected a team led by SRNL as the virtual Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence to support the Advanced Energy Initiative to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign energy sources.

SRS was recognized as a benchmark federal facility for nuclear operations, materials production and nuclear safety. The last of SRS’s and the U.S.’s neptunium inventory was stabilized and shipped to the Idaho National Laboratory, where it will be used to produce a source of power for NASA. Also, SRNS completed its commitment to TVA for a low-enriched uranium solution that will be converted into commercial reactor fuel. The project saved taxpayers an estimated $750 million in storage and disposal costs and supports efforts to reduce dependency on coal-produced electricity.

SRS created and retained about 3,000 jobs using part of the $1.615 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Re-investment Act (ARRA) for accelerated cleanup work at the Site.

Small Businesses were awarded $218 million in contracts, with $124 million awarded within the CSRA.

“The Business Process Modernization Project (BPMP) has been an important part of SRNS’s efforts to bring Site practices up-to-date, to increase transparency and efficiency and to surpass industry standards. The project imple-ments an integrated suite of commercial, off-the-shelf software to streamline current SRS business processes and software applications by reducing operating costs, facilitating day-to-day management, improving work flows and replacing obsolete applications,” said Flowers.

6

SRNS has achieved many goals in its two years at SRS.

“We at SRNS are proud of the many, varied accomplishments we have been able to lead SRS to. Amazing things can be achieved through dedicated management, a talented work force and a well equipped Site. Our successes in the past two years are evidence of that,” said Fred Dohse, SRNS Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Garry Flowers, SRNS president and CEO, speaks.

“I want the land put to good use and our troops do need to be trained. I do appreciate the need for a well-trained fighting force and if SRS provides areas for training that is needed, the Army should be allowed to use the property.

However, on the other hand, let’s say they bring in a group of 20 soldiers for seven days. They will need food to be cooked, shelters for support staff, and let’s not forget latrines and trash. If I were an owl used to my nice quiet nest without a human in sight, I would leave if all this activity arrived. I know they will not use tracked vehicles, but I am more concerned about the mundane things of life.”

“My concern is that the Army's use of the Site will not have a positive economic impact on the com-munity. If the Army uses the Site, this could preclude other uses that would have a positive economic impact.

Also, the Army's use of the Site will in-crease the potential for worker and commu-nity exposures to hazardous or radiological wastes and materials. It is important that EPA be involved in the planning phase as the Army decides which parts of the Site will be used for training. I am also con-cerned the Army's use of helicopters in their training activities will increase the potential for accidents. The Army's use of the Site has a potential to be an additional security risk, but this risk will not be addressed by additional staff or procedures, according to the Army's presentation to the CAB. This does not seem realistic.”

7

Prior to allowing an activity such as the proposal for Army training at

SRS, an Environment Assessment and biological evaluation is re-quired. To this end, the potential for impact from Army training is now under analysis and procedures are being developed to address how the proposed training would be conducted in order to provide adequate protection. These procedures are based on extensive stud-ies and experience and may either place specific restrictions on a training activity and/or make specific areas off limits. In addition, prior to actual training activities, the soldiers would be briefed on the requirements for protection.

As a specific example related to your concerns, there is considerable experience with Army training and the Red-cockaded woodpecker (a species listed as threatened and endangered). While this bird is known to flush due to certain Army training activities, it returns soon after the soldiers leave. Extensive studies have shown that not only does there not appear to be any negative impact, the bird popu-lations on those installations have experienced significant increases.

DOE considers the application of the multiple land use concept, when pos-

sible, to be prudent management of federal property. It was deter-mined that Army access to a portion of the nearly 200,000 acres that comprise the Site, subject to reasonable protocols, could be accom-modated as a concurrent land use without interfering with ongoing or future mission requirements. Areas of the Site being considered for community reuse and those considered suitable for Army train-ing generally have different requirements and should not result in competition for the same resources. In any case, the DOE maintains ownership and control of all SRS property and agreements with the Army include provisions that there will not be interference with DOE missions. While the proposed training would probably not re-sult in significant economic impact, the nature of the impact would be positive in the form of increased demand for local goods and ser-vices. DOE has met with the EPA concerning this proposal and is working with them on the steps taken to avoid problems, including limiting access to specific areas.

If the Army presentation left the impression that potential issues from the activities you mentioned such as helicopters, security, etc., have not been addressed, rest assured that is not the case. To date, there has been over 4 years of thought and planning by many organi-zations into how Army training could be conducted at SRS without negatively affecting Site missions and operations. As a culmination of these efforts, DOE-SR is now engaged in finalizing extensive and detailed agreements with the Army that will spell out these proc-esses.

DOE’s Response:

DOE’s Response:

Marolyn Parson, CAB

Kathe Golden, CAB

CAB Members Weigh in on Army Training at SRS

Progress is Being Made at SRS with ARRA

8

When the American Recovery and Rein-vestment Act (ARRA) was passed in 2009, the goal was to create new jobs, and save ex-isting ones, to kick-start economic activity while creating long-term growth, and to pro-mote a new level of accountability in Govern-ment spending.

All of these goals, and more, are currently being achieved with ARRA funding at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Zack Smith, Di-rector of the Savannah River Recovery Act Program, explained what ARRA’s purpose is.

“ARRA is all about taking shovel-ready pro-jects and implementing those activities to aid in putting unemployed workers back to work or retaining existing jobs that would other-wise be lost,” he said.

ARRA funding has had a tremendous effect at SRS, with 1.6 billion dollars being allocated to the Site. This sup-port has made it possible for SRS to achieve progress and successes that would have otherwise been delayed.

“We expect to complete cleanup of more than 75 percent of the Site, which is roughly 233 square miles,” Mr. Smith said. “With transuranic waste removal, we will disposition at least 5,000 cubic meters. That is a major achievement in terms of Legacy Waste.”

According to Mr. Smith, the bulk of the funding is obligated through 2011, but there is some work, predominately transuranic waste removal, that will run through 2012. Projects pursued under ARRA funding are selected for impor-tance, but also for shovel-readiness and how it fit with the Site’s mission.

ARRA funding has not only positively affected the work at SRS, but also the surrounding communities. Mr. Smith stated that roughly 3,669 jobs have been created or retained. This will aid in long-term growth, which is a goal of ARRA.

“We’ve trained quite a few folks to be radiological workers-everything from monitoring radiological activities to do-ing work in radiological areas,” Mr. Smith said. “There has been a good deal of technical training completed, which the workers can take into any industry.”

Mr. Smith stated that the perception of ARRA is “extremely positive,” among both the public and SRS workers. However, it is known that ARRA funding is temporary. This fact could potentially result in negative perceptions of SRS and the program-that is, if there wasn’t already a plan in place to transition the newly increased workforce.

“We’re working aggressively on a workforce transition effort,” Mr. Smith explained. “ It includes trying to place as many workers as we can ourselves, but also putting them in touch with parent companies to help them find work with those companies.”

In the meantime, Mr. Smith has been keeping the SRS CAB in the loop concerning ARRA funding. He said that the CAB response has been very positive.

“I think they have communicated their appreciation for the accelerated Foot Print reduction,” Mr. Smith said. “That had been slowing down due to the funding levels, but with ARRA it really got kicked into high gear, as well as tran-suranic waste removal, which has received more emphasis.”

Zack Smith presents on ARRA at the September Full Board meeting.

Take a Look: A Year of CAB Meetings

Topics Presented at the CAB Full

Board Meetings in 2010:

•SRS’s 2010 Topics for CAB Considera-tion

•Natural Resources Management Plan for SRS

•Updates on the Savannah River Recovery Act Program

•Saltstone Facility

•SRS Performance Measures Update

•Savannah River National Laboratory Overview

•SRS CAB Speakers Bureau

•Liquid Waste System Plan (Rev. 15)

•SRS Public Tours Program

•American Reinvestment and Recovery Act

•CMP Pits Electrical Resistance Heating System

•P-Area Operable Unit Project Update

•Transuranic Waste Project Update

•Nuclear Material Disposition Accomplishments

•SRS Superfund Job Training Initiative

•DOE-SR Outlook on an Energy Park at SRS

•Tank Closure: Regulatory Framework

•NRC: Waste Incidental to Reprocessing Activities at SRS

•Heavy Water Components Test Reactor

•Waste Top Ten Program Risks

•U.S. Army Training at SRS

9

From top: Robert Pope, EPA; Doug Hintze, DOE-SR; Nishka

Devaser, NRC; and Patrick McGuire, DOE-SR.

10

Included in the thematic studies are oral histories of people who worked at SRS dur-ing the Cold War Era years. Mr. Sauerborn noted that oral histories, now digitized on tape for perpetuity, contain legacies and are very interesting to listen to.

“Some of the oral history folks are quite old, and some are no longer with us, but we still have their words, which is great,” he said.

Among the artifacts collected from build-ings are documents, small instruments and gauges, and old hard hats. However, the program’s job does not end after the items are in its possession.

“The second part of the program’s responsi-bility at the Site is ‘How do we manage or control, and preserve, these artifacts,’” Mr. Sauerborn said.

SRS has a qualified, trained curator who has access to an approved database that al-lows her to collect physical and historical information and photography on the arti-facts. She also utilizes basic preservation practices to protect the objects from age and misuse, so they can be made available for research or exhibition. When the Cura-tion Facility is opened in FY2011, it will serve as a contact or reference point to sur-rounding school, colleges, and museums that have an interest in the Cold War and SRS.

Mr. Sauerborn said that he thinks the Cold War Historic Preservation Program is “making progress.” He said that while the program is currently focused on preserving artifacts from the Cold War era, it realizes that as time passes, there will be different responsibilities and a new time frame to preserve.

“You know, 25 to 30 years from now, the Defense Waste Processing Facility may be a candidate for historic preservation,” he stated. “We already have a few things in anticipation for that in our collection. We are always looking ahead.”

SRS Cold War Historic Preservation

Program, continued from page 6... One of the most visual milestones of cleanup projects under-way within the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management was the demolition of the K-Reactor Cooling Tower at the Savannah River Site (SRS).

This American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project has been completed one month ahead of schedule, with debris from the implosion safely hauled away and deposited in an on-site land-fill. With project completion, a great safety achievement was real-ized.

“We’ve had about 20,000 miles of various kinds of trucks and other vehicular traffic on-site just connected with debris removal with no traffic incidences at all,” said Dewitt Beeler, manager of Savannah River Nuclear Solution’s Solid Waste Facility. “Of course, on a job like this, one of the things that you worry about the most is vehicle and transportation safety.”

To complete the project, more than 800 tons of reinforced steel from the structure were sent to a local scrap metal recycler. This recycling effort also helped to stimulate the local economy beyond the SRS Recovery Act Project.

“With each completed Recovery Act project, we are closer to re-ducing the legacy environmental cleanup footprint and reaching our goal of 75 percent by the end of 2012,” said Jack Craig, DOE’s Savannah River Operations Office Acting Manager. “SRS continues to prove that the Recovery Act is working to clean-up the site and do it safely.”

K-Area Cooling Tower Project Reaches Completion

The remains of the K-Area Cooling Tower.

K-Area Cooling Tower is imploded on May 26, 2010 as

part of the SRS Recovery Act Project.

CAB Members Celebrate M-Area Cleanup at SRS

11

On October 20, 2010, CAB Vice Chairperson Donald Bridges, and Facilities Disposition and Site Remediation

Chairperson Kuppuswamy Jayaraman, attended the M-Area celebration at Savannah River Site. The event celebrated

the successful cleanup completion of M-Area. Also present at the event was DOE’s Assistant Secretary for Environ-

mental Management, Dr. Inés Triay, as well as Karen Guevara, who works with the SRS CAB as a Designated Dep-

uty Federal Officer, Rob Pope, of the Environmental Protection Agency, Garry Flowers, CEO and president of

SRNS, as well as the hard-working people that help make the cleanup activities at SRS a success.

Dr. Triay summed up the celebration best by stating, to an audience of more than 200, “M-Area cleanup marks a

significant step toward meeting our environmental commitments at SRS, and toward reducing the operating footprint

associated with the Site’s past mission.”

From top left: M-Area workers celebrate by throwing their hats to the sky; Assistant Secretary for Environ-

mental Management, Dr. Triay, addresses the celebration attendees; Dr. K Jayaraman, CAB, is introduced to

new Site Manager Dr. Dave Moody by Rebecca Craft, DOE Director of External Affairs; CAB Vice Chair, Dr. Don

Bridges, and Facilities and Site Disposition Chairperson, Dr. K Jayaraman, attended the celebration as guests.

Highlight of CAB Recommendations

Public Tours at SRS to see an Increase in 2011 Thanks to the CAB!

12

Recommendation 272:

Increase the number of public tours at SRS

What did the CAB recommend?

The CAB asked DOE to increase the num-ber and scope of SRS public tours for 2010 and beyond. The CAB also asked the DOE to consider privatizing the tours, to offer weekend tours so to reach more people, and to offer an alternative registration process.

DOE’s response

While the tours will not be privatized, or offered on the weekends, DOE has in-creased the number of public tours to run in the year 2011 to 30 annually. The number of tours will be reviewed at the end of 2011.

Recommendation 269:

Semi-Annual Review of Inputs and Assumptions used to develop the Liquid Waste System Plan (LWSP)

What did the CAB recommend?

The CAB advised DOE to provide a semi-annual review that discusses the bases inputs and assumptions for the LWSP. The CAB also asked for a semi-annual review of Salt and Sludge Processing Operations, and a semi-annual review of Tank Closure timing. The CAB advised a review of the 10 highest program-matic risks and a review of the status of criticality studies relating to plutonium disposal in DWPF.

DOE’s response:

DOE will work with the Waste Management Committee to include in its schedule the status of all pro-jects recommended by the CAB. DOE will be repeating a relevant presentation for the CAB and will continue to study the issue of DWPF canisters.

Recommendation 270:

Increase Loading of Excess Pluto-nium

What did the CAB recommend?

The CAB advised DOE to increase plutonium loading and pursue addi-tional loading. Also, the CAB ad-vised that any DOE license applica-tions filed with government au-thorities reflect EM’s Waste Accep-tance Product Specifications. If DOE’s license for Yucca Mountain is pursued, the amendment to the application should be applied quickly.

DOE’s response:

DOE said that although the fissile loading level remains unchanged, the Department will continue to study the issue. DOE has termi-nated the program for a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain and has appointed the Blue Ribbon Commission to develop alternative storage and disposal approaches by March 2010. DOE will continue to consider the CAB’s concerns.

Recommendation 271:

Finalize Plans for Plutonium Dispo-sition

What did the CAB recommend?

The CAB asked DOE to advise the CAB by July 2010 when DOE will have an approved final plan for the disposition of all said plutonium cur-rently stored or still expected for arrival at SRS. The CAB also asked that DOE advise it of the schedule impact the disposition plan would have on other DOE programs and plans, as well as the incremental cost associated with the approved plan.

DOE’s response :

DOE will have an approved final plan for plutonium disposition when all National Environmental Policy Act documents are completed, which is estimated to take approximately 18 months. Until the disposition pathway is selected, it is difficult to provide the schedule impacts on DOE-SR EM programs and plans or the incremental cost associated with the approved disposition plan.

Public citizens eagerly board a bus that will take them on a tour of

the Savannah River Site. Thanks to the SRS CAB, more members

of the public will be able to enjoy public tours at SRS. Members of

the Strategic and Legacy Management Committee are still review-

ing DOE’s response to this recommendation.

Blowing Bubbles:

SRS Looks to Apply Novel Solutions to Unique Challenges

Blowing bubbles is not usually associated with proc-essing liquid radioactive waste. Nevertheless, new bub-bler technology and other enhancements are soon ex-pected to double the amount of radioactive waste proc-essed annually at SRS.

The bubbler technology, which will be used at the Site's Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), was modified from existing technology by Catholic Univer-sity’s Vitreous State Laboratory (VSL) under contracts with SRS to improve DWPF melter performance. Its im-plementation and installation at SRS will be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Officials from SRS recently visited VSL in Washington, D.C., to learn more about the technology.

During processing, frit and radionuclides are combined in a melter and heated to form molten glass. The bubblers - tubular devices inserted into the melter - blow argon gas through the molten glass waste mixture to maintain an even tempera-ture and allow higher-temperature operation, which produces the best glass form. The superheated mix-ture is then poured into large stainless steel contain-ers, allowed to harden and stored at nearby SRS facilities.

Jean Ridley, who oversees the SRS Recovery Act project at DWPF as the Deputy Federal Project Director of the Liquid Waste Savannah River Site Recovery Act Project, said, “Inserting bubblers into the melter will significantly enhance the facility’s capability to process more than 36 million gallons of liquid radioactive waste being removed from the underground waste tanks at SRS. Recovery Act funding is accel-erating SRS tank closure and further reducing long-term risk to our workers and the public.”

Ridley led the team to Washington, which included SRR’s President and Project Director, Jim French.

13

Karthik Subramanian, Savannah River Remediation, gave an enlightening presentation concerning bub-bler technology at the September CAB Full Board.

“It’s much like blowing air through a gi-ant straw into syrup,” said Cliff Winkler,

SRR Chief Engineer. “Except here the syrup is really liquid radioactive waste

heated to a temperature of about 2,000 de-grees Fahrenheit inside what looks like a

giant 65 ton teapot.”

The CAB Says Farewell to Four Board Members

CAB members volunteer to serve on the Board for a two-year term and often reapply for up to two additional terms.

After six years, these members retire, allowing other citizens an opportunity to serve on this diverse and community-

oriented Board. This year, members from Hilton Head, Savannah, Atlanta and Aiken are moving on. New members

will be introduced in the Spring. On behalf of members, DOE site contractors, and the agency representatives, we’d

like to extend a big “Thank you!” to the four departing members.

Manuel joined the SRS

CAB six years ago and has

since played an important

role on the Board. He served as Vice Chairperson of the

Waste Management Committee his first year, Chairper-

son of the Nuclear Materials Committee after that, and

during his fourth year became Chairperson of the Board.

Manuel advises future CAB members to stay flexible,

ask questions and commit time to the Board. When it

comes to favorite memories of his time on the Board, he

said that he loved the opportunities to tour the Site, par-

ticularly the H-Canyon tour. One of his favorite aspects

of Board membership was his fellow CAB members,

who he said offered differing insights, humor and

served as a reminder of how diverse the Board really is.

Ranowul’s hard work

with Citizens For Envi-

ronmental Justice led

her to offer her efforts to the SRS CAB six years ago.

At the beginning, she worked on the Strategic and

Legacy Management Committee due to her interest in

the long-term sustainability of people and property.

She also served on the Administrative Committee, and

the Facilities Disposition and Site Remediation Com-

mittee. Ranowul stated that learning about the “true

operations of SRS and how the government works in

its regard” as her greatest accomplishment on the

Board.

She advises new and returning CAB members to

not hesitate when offering their viewpoints. As for

public members eager to join the CAB, Ranowul

would encourage them to make sure they have the

time to be involved in committee work because this is

very important within the CAB. She said that one of

her favorite memories of her time on the CAB was

when she visited the Hanford Site because it was a

noteworthy tour and she learned a great deal.

Ranowul added that she also loved meeting many

DOE officials, including Assistant Secretary of Envi-

ronmental Management, Dr. Inés Triay

14

Manuel Bettencourt

Hilton Head, SC

Ranowul Jzar

Savannah, GA

Manuel said that his greatest accomplishment dur-

ing his time with the CAB was the above flow chart.

Joe joined the CAB

in order to keep informed of Site activities after retiring

from SRS in 2004 after 24 years . He wanted to help

others understand the purpose of SRS, as well as en-

courage and enhance public input in regards to the Site.

True to his desire to assist others, Joe stated that his

greatest accomplishment during his time on the Board

was helping new members understand SRS activities

and developing the public input he joined the Board in

order to be a part of.

He advises anyone who wants to join the Board to

“investigate, ask questions and join if interested.” He

encourages new and returning members to stay in-

volved, and never be hesitant to ask questions or inves-

tigate further.

During his six year tenure, Joe has served on the Ad-

ministrative Committee, the Strategic and Legacy Man-

agement Committee and serves as the Chairperson of

the Waste Management Committee. His favorite mem-

ory of his time on the Board is seeing new members

develop and increase their knowledge of Site activities.

15

Joe Ortaldo

Aiken, SC

Art’s profession as

an energy and envi-

ronmental lawyer has led him to work on environ-

mental remediation of contaminated property. This

hands-on knowledge made him a viable member of

the CAB. He has served as Vice Chairperson on both

the Nuclear Materials Committee and Waste Manage-

ment Committee. He feels that his greatest accom-

plishment to the Board is his assistance to the CAB

and DOE in developing several recommendations.

He has been very involved during his time on the

Board and in terms of tours, he enjoyed attending an

integrated tour of the “back end” of the Liquid Waste

System. Art credited his fellow Board members with

allowing him a positive experience as a part of the

CAB. He said that dinners with members of the CAB,

who hail from varied places and experiences, remind

him that the CAB is “a dedicated band of volunteers

who care deeply about each other, SRS, and the coun-

try.”

During his tenure on the CAB, Art has written sev-

eral articles, including a paper he gave at the 2007

Waste Management Conference. The paper included

Recommendation 239 that he, and other CAB mem-

bers, worked on.

Recommendation 239 can be found on the CAB’s

website at the following link:

http://www.srs.gov/general/outreach/srs-cab/

library/recommendations/

recommendation_239.pdf

Art Domby

Atlanta, GA

Want to find your spot on the SRS CAB?

Contact the SRS CAB Support Team at

1-800-249-8155 or download an application

from the CAB’s website at:

http://www.srs.gov/general/outreach/srs-cab/

library/application.pdf

16

Vice Chairman to the CAB, Donald Bridges, and other CAB support personnel participated in the Fall 2010 Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB) Chairs’ Meeting, which was held September 15-16 in Santa Fe, NM and hosted by the Northern New Mexico Citizens Advisory Board. Site-Specific Advisory Boards (SSAB) are formally constituted boards that provide input to EM in the form of advice and recom-mendations at the DOE Sites where cleanup activities are significant. These Boards are constituted to represent the diversity of the local surrounding areas, to reflect the views of the public, and to make recommendations on the priority and progress of clean-up activities. The SRS CAB is such a Board with 25 mem-

bers who live in areas such as Aiken, Augusta, Columbia, Hilton Head and Savannah.

The SRS CAB is one of eight such SSAB’s noted below:

Hanford (WA) Idaho

Nevada Northern New Mexico

Oak Ridge (TN) Paducah (KY)

Portsmouth (OH) SRS (SC)

The SSAB Chairs’ Meetings are held semi-annually, at rotating host Sites, and bring together the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the SSAB’s, along with the EM Assistant Secretary, and other senior management. These meetings provide insights into management direction and focus, general updates on EM cleanup progress, discussion on SSAB pro-gress and problems, and an overall informational exchange. During the two-day meeting, a number of key points were discussed on EM cleanup priorities and progress. During the meeting, attendees got the sense that a major em-phasis is on the effective and efficient use of EM funds to “get the most bang for the buck.” It was also pointed out that the support and confidence of the public is essential to a successful cleanup effort.

Topics covered during the meeting included:

Briefing on the EM Journey to Excellence by the Assistant Secretary

Update on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Waste Disposition Issues

Land Use

EM Budget

Top Three Issues and Accomplishments by each Site

The meeting was very informative and presented a good overall view of EM programs and activities. The exchange between the Sites helped us calibrate our views and expectations. It was a good meeting in the very interesting tourist location of Santa Fe. In summary, it was an effective interchange in very pleasant surroundings including the weather. Members of the public are encouraged to attend these meetings. They are open to the public for informa-tional purposes and to permit the public to make comments and provide input to the DOE.

Visit to the Site Specific Chairs’ Meeting in Santa Fe, NMBy: Dr. Donald Bridges, SRS CAB Vice Chair

Participants at the Chairs Meeting with DOE Assistant

Secretary for Environmental Management, Inés Triay.

Make Your Way to the New DOE Meeting

Center in Aiken for Committee Meetings

DOE Meeting Center

Located at the rear of the Aiken

Design Center

230 Village Green Blvd., Suite 220

Aiken, SC 29803

From Downtown Aiken, SC

From downtown Aiken

1. Take Whiskey Rd. / SC-19 south.

2. Turn RIGHT at Pine Log Rd.

3. Turn LEFT at Silverbluff Rd. /

SC-302.

4. Turn LEFT onto Village Green

Blvd.

5. Look for a large black sign that

says

"The Village".

6. Turn LEFT into the 2nd parking

lot.

7. Enter the door with the red awn-

ing.

From Augusta, GA

1. Take Bobby Jones Expressway East

into SC.

2. Take Hwy-1 / US-78 / Jefferson

Davis Hwy east toward Aiken.

3. Turn RIGHT at Chesterfield St.

4. Slight LEFT at Whiskey Rd. / SC-

19.

5. Turn RIGHT at Pine Log Rd.

6. Turn LEFT at Silverbluff Rd. / SC-

302.

7. Turn LEFT onto Village Green

Blvd.

8. Look for a large black sign that says

“The Village.”

9. Turn LEFT into the 2nd parking

lot.

10. Enter the door with the red awn-

ing.

From I-20

1. Take exit 18 to SC-19 / Edgefield

Hwy south.

2. Turn LEFT onto Hwy-1 / US-78 /

Augusta Aiken Rd. west

3. Turn RIGHT at Chesterfield St.

4. Slight LEFT at Whiskey Rd. / SC-19.

5. Turn RIGHT at Pine Log Rd.

6. Turn LEFT at Silverbluff Rd. / SC-

302.

7. Turn LEFT onto Village Green Blvd.

8. Look for a large black sign that

says"The Village".

9. Turn LEFT into the 2nd parking lot to

go behind the Aiken Design Center.

10. Enter the door with the red awning.

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Be sure to cut and save!

Would You Like to Make a Public Comment?

At CAB Full Board and Committee Meetings, the pub-

lic is always invited to make comments and ad-

dress the Board. However, what if you want to

make a comment but can’t make it to a meeting?

That’s where the SRS CAB’s website comes in!

Have your say at the

SRS CAB Public Comments Board :

http://www.srs.gov/general/outreach/srs-cab/

public_comments.html

You can ask questions, leave comments, or voice

concerns. Worried that if you leave your com-

ments or concerns on a website that no one will

acknowledge it? Rest assured that all comments

entered on the Public Comments Board are re-

sponded to.

The CAB is Going Green!

The leaves and grass may be turning

brown this Fall, but the SRS CAB is still

going green. We are currently updating

the SRS CAB mailing list and would love

to keep you current on CAB activities and

meetings.

Effective May 14, 2010, notifications and

copies of the Board Beat will be sent via

email. Please send your current email ad-. Please send your current email ad-

dress, name and other contact informa-dress, name and other contact informa-

tion, to srscitizensadvisoryboard@srs.gov tion, to srscitizensadvisoryboard@srs.gov

with “Go Green” in the subject line, or call with “Go Green” in the subject line, or call

us toll free at 1us toll free at 1--800800--249249--8155. 8155.

Thank you for helping us keep the

environment green for the next

generation!

Save money on gas and wear on your vehicle. Live

meetings are 100 percent free.

Convenience. You can attend live meetings at your lei-

sure from your home or office. There is no need for a

babysitter.

Review missed meetings. Live meeting recordings are

stored on the SRS CAB’s website, so if you want to re-

view a meeting at a later date, it’s only a click away.

Share meetings with friends. Have a friend who has not

yet attended a CAB Board meeting? Point them in the

direction of Live Meetings.

With you, we can reach a larger audi-

ence. Live meetings are a viable op-

tion the public can choose. The more

options that are made available, the

better informed YOU will be!

Check out the SRS CAB’s website

for information on the Board, presen-

tations, meeting summaries and

more!

www.srs.gov/general/outreach/srs-

cab/srs-cab.html